


a swelling storm

by punkcowboy



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BUT Klaus fucks with everything as he tends to do, Gen, M/M, Not X-Men: Days of Future Past Compliant, Pre-X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Slow Burn, Time Travel, Vietnam War, in a good way tho?, klaus gets up to some shIT y’all, like takes place during the events of DOFP, will update tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-09 04:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18909880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkcowboy/pseuds/punkcowboy
Summary: 10 months.Klaus told Five that he’d been in the past for 10 months.He may or may not have failed to tell him the whole truth.-(Aka. Klaus was in the past for a lot longer than he let on. There was Dave, of course. There was also a blue girl, a time-travelling wolf man, a guy who could read minds, his totally-not-lover who could control metal, and Alex fucking Summers. It was a whole thing.)





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a crossover that I’ve been thinking of for a while actually but have never had the time to fully realise. Posting this is incentive to do that properly though as this is something I really want to write. 
> 
> ALSO I’ve never done a BIG multi-chapter before, and I have a feeling that’s what this is going to be so wish me luck lol.
> 
> Basically, enjoy this lil (actually tiny, ‘tis beginning note is probably longer than it) sneak peak to something I’ve been working on/thinking about for AGES. I hope it’s something y’all are interested in reading!!

10 months.

Klaus told Five that he’d been in the past for _10_ _months_.

He may or may not have failed to tell him the whole truth.

There was no reason for Five or the rest of his siblings to know the entire tale. What good would it do them? There was enough chaos going on in the present day, it didn’t _matter_ what Klaus had done in the past.

That’s what he told himself anyway. In reality, Klaus wasn’t sure why he’d skirted the truth. Maybe he didn’t want to burden them. Maybe he just knew that they wouldn’t give a shit- although it was to be noted that that had never stopped him before.

The thing was, Klaus _loved_ to tell stories. Adored shocking people with crazy tales, making them gasp at the things he said. Sure, sometimes- and almost all the time with his siblings- they thought he was lying, but that was part of the fun of it. Getting up to things that were so wild, so insane, that people thought he was bullshitting when he told them? It gave him a kind of rush for one reason or another.

Not this time, though. This was far too- far too personal, too fresh, too _much_. It wasn’t something that he could handle them thinking he was making up.

That didn’t mean he would _never_ tell them. Maybe, maybe, maybe _. He could._ Eventually. When they weren’t all busy trying to prevent the world from falling apart, and if they cared to ask, he’d tell them why he had a new tattoo, why he held onto the three dog tags around his neck as if his life depended on it. Why it was _now_ that he was trying to stay sober, after all their failed attempts to make him “see the good” or whatever, and why- why he was so much _calmer_ , subdued even- well, as subdued as Klaus Hargreeves could ever be. So many changes in him that they could ask about. If they noticed, he would explain.

But not yet.

For what he did tell them, he was being honest. He’d arrived in 1968, in an active war zone. He had served in A Shau Valley, in the Vietnam War, and he’d met the love of his life.

 _None_ of that was a lie.

There just happened to be a lot more to the story than that.

Yeah, 10 months. Give or take about a decade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tell me what you think of this! Is it an interesting premise? Next (first proper) chapter will start including X-Men character/s btw so never fear if that’s what you’re here for ;)
> 
> PS It’s 23:40 here rn and I have an exam tomorrow lmao I’m an idiot


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! This is the first proper chapter, hope you enjoy! :)

Alex Summers was not one to be easily surprised.

Therefore, when a man appeared out of thin air, clutching a briefcase to his chest for dear life, he didn’t really bat an eye. After spending a few years in a house full of mutants, it was fairly normal for him to see people doing supposedly "unimaginable" things. When he himself could conjure red hot discs of death as second nature, it wasn’t all that far-fetched to assume that there were also people who could, say, teleport, as it appeared this man could do. He was no longer fazed by seemingly impossible feats.

Besides, he had more important things to pay attention to. The drill sergeant, whatever his name was, was barking orders at them, and he needed to focus on, you know, not dying. He’d promised Scott that he would make it back, after all, and he wasn’t planning on breaking his promise.

So he chucked the guy some pants and forgot about it for a while. Shoved it to the back of his mind as he grabbed a gun and ran out, the ground shaking as he felt his heart leap to his throat, as it always did when he had to face the gunfire.

Afterwards, however, was a different story. After that day’s fight was over, and they were being shuttled off to another battlefield god-knows-where to fight god-knows-who, and the teleporting guy was still around, he began to wonder. Why would he teleport to an active battlefield, of all places? Maybe he wanted to be in the fight, but if that was the case why had he looked to disorientated? Surely he’d have been expecting the chaos that he landed himself in, at least a little. He looked as if he’d been caught completely off guard. Also, even if that was the case, he could have just signed up or been conscripted like everyone else. He looked- well, Alex couldn’t quite place his age, but he was certainly over eighteen.

All in all, this new man, mutant, whatever, was a mystery, and Alex was a curious guy.

And, well, you can’t get answers if you don’t ask questions, right?

He decided on talking to him when they got to their next location. Securing a bed close to him, or, failing that, cornering him at some point during their down time.

That plan was shot almost as soon as he came up with it, however, when he saw one Sergeant Dave Wilson tapping briefcase dude on the shoulder and starting a conversation.

That- well, that _could_ be a problem.

Here’s the thing. Generally, Alex kept to himself. During bus rides he normally sat at the back, like he was currently doing, and glared at anyone who tried to talk to him. It was safe to say that he wasn’t the most approachable, and he liked it that way. He wasn't here to make friends.

Dave, however, was the complete opposite. Irritatingly friendly and optimistic, despite their situation. The sun may as well shine out of his ass. Thus, it wasn’t the most surprising when Alex saw that Dave was the first to properly welcome the newcomer.

This would have been fine, and if it was anyone else Dave was talking to then Alex wouldn’t be concerned in the slightest (not that he was concerned _now_ , of course. He didn’t even know the guy) However, for all Dave seemed to be the kindest soul on the fucking planet, that didn’t mean he didn’t have his prejudices. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t freak out if he found out this new guy was some sort of mutant.

There was no telling if Dave would be accepting or not. The topic hadn’t been broached at all, and Alex was yet to use his own abilities in front of the other troops. They hadn’t yet been called for, and Alex would like to keep it that way.

There was also the fact that Alex wasn’t sure who, if anyone else, had seen briefcase dude appear out of thin air. And people didn’t tend to view mutants in the friendliest of lights, not after the whole Cuba fiasco. Xavier had worked hard to soften people’s attitudes, but there were still those who thought of mutants as a threat to be eradicated.

So, seeing Dave approach the new guy put Alex on edge. Sure, he tended to be welcoming to all the new recruits, but this- this was different, because, fuck. Mutants protect their own. He had an annoying urge to protect this guy, and if that meant momentarily bringing his guard down to make him trust him, then so be it.

Before the school, before Charles Xavier and Erik fucking Lehnsherr came into his life, he would have treated this guy like everyone else. That is, not given him a second glance unless he looked at him funny, and then beaten him to shit if he did. If people were gonna be scared of him, may as well give them a reason to be.

That outlook had gotten Alex in a lot of trouble, sure, but he’d never cared much.

Then those fuckers came, took him from his prison cell, and everything went to hell. He met others like himself, people he could talk to and show his powers to, without them thinking he was a _freak_. And he’d liked them, a lot. They cared for him, and he learned to care for them too. Xavier taught him to control his power and use it to his advantage rather than just for chaos.

A little chaos was sometimes good, of course, but still. Not the point.

Professor X gave him a family, a purpose. A reason to fight, rather than just fighting for the hell of it. And it was a _good_ reason. Protect your family, and they’ll protect you. Mutants look out for mutants, because no one else was going to.

And so, here he was, actually about to do this shit.

 _Damn you, Professor X,_ he thought bitterly to himself as he began to walk up the bus to where Dave and the newcomer were talking.

As he made his way towards the couple, the rest of the chatter on the bus died down into what could only be described as a stunned silence. It became eerily quiet aside from the noise of the bus trundling along, and the pair he was approaching, who remained oblivious to their surroundings as they talked and talked and talked.

He pushed on, rolling his eyes at the other soldiers. Alex wasn’t entirely sure what they thought of him. Maybe they thought he was shy, or not wanting to make connections with people. Which made sense, he argued to no-one but himself, considering they were in a war zone and could literally be killed any second. Not wanting to get buddy-buddy with the people around you was logical, really, when there was the chance any one of them could get blown to pieces.

Or maybe they were actually scared of him. He was used to that, given his history, but he was pretty sure these guys weren’t clued in as to any of that. Plus, they didn’t know his powers, and were also hardened soldiers so it seemed unlikely.

Whatever it was, they started talking again when Alex sent a glare to one of them- Jacobs? He thought his name was Jacobs- albeit a little quieter and certainly reluctantly, speaking in hushed whispers and not taking their eyes off of him as he moved.

How dramatic.

Finally, finally, he dropped down into the seat across the aisle from the mystery man, interrupting the conversation he was having with Dave. Making eye contact, Alex stared at him, trying to get a measure of the guy. He stared back with wide eyes, clearly still very confused and more than a little guarded.

Dave, for his part, welcomed Alex with a grin.

“Alex! How are ya?” he said, flashing him his signature _dazzling_ smile, although there was something a little _off_ about it. He seemed almost- disappointed?

It didn’t matter. Alex inspected the new guy. He was skinny, almost gaunt looking, with a shock of brown, curly hair. His eyes were startlingly wide, and very expressive. They pretty much took up half his face, making him look almost like a deer caught in the headlights with the way they were currently filled with fear and confusion and- pain? God, emotions were weird.

“My name’s Alex Summers,” he said finally, not taking his eyes off of…

“Klaus. Klaus Hargreeves,” he got in reply.

Neither of them spoke for a minute, the silence becoming almost suffocating. Alex felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden, and almost considered just shuffling off to the back of the bus but-

He'd promised Charles that he would look out for any mutant he met along the road, and _wow_ , he should really stop making promises that were so damn _difficult_ to keep.

Not knowing what else to do, Alex held out his hand for the other man- for _Klaus_ \- to shake. There was another beat of awkward silence before Klaus obliged.

Alex, taking a page out of Dave’s book, shot Klaus a frankly _dazzling_ grin of his own.

“Well, pilgrim,” he drawled, as Klaus shuffled in his seat. He eyed Dave as well, who was watching him curiously, “what brings you round these parts?”

And- Alex would admit that his cowboy impression was horrendous, and he wasn't even sure either of them had actually _gotten_ the reference, but it didn't matter because Klaus snorted loudly and Dave was giving him a much nicer smile than Alex himself had been able to muster, so, yeah, totally worth it. This could be ok.

He'd have to watch Dave, of course, make sure he wasn't going to freak if he found out, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. And Klaus- there was a _lot_ he still needed to find out about him. All he had right now was a name, and some vague idea of teleportation.

But there wasn't much he could ask here, surrounded by so many curious soldiers. So for now, interrogations would have to wait. Bad cowboy jokes were just fine for the time being. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm hoping to get the second chapter up by the end of June, but there's no guarantee, sorry. Even this chapter took longer than I thought it would, but I don't want to half-ass this. Hope y'all understand.
> 
> For now, Alex Summers y'all. What did ya think?
> 
> Hope you liked it- and thank you so much for the support on the prologue! Seriously, wasn't expecting so much love for that lil teaser so I'm very grateful :)
> 
> Any feedback on this would be much appreciated, hope you have a good day!


End file.
